Chapter : 656

"We cannot just stand here and watch this massacre," Princess Iris stated softly. Her voice carried a calm, undeniable resolve. She looked at her elite vanguard.

Sayma closed her notebook. She pushed her glasses up. "The casualty rate is escalating rapidly, Princess. The 1st Prince and the 4th Prince are causing massive collateral damage."

"They are destroying the entire room," Zinia agreed. The strong earth mage crossed her muscular arms. "If they keep fighting like this, the ceiling will collapse. We will all get crushed."

Naomi spun her twin silver daggers. The metal blades clicked sharply. She smiled a confident, brave smile. She looked at her Princess. "Give us the order, Princess. We are ready."

Princess Iris took a slow, deep breath. She raised her silver rapier high into the air. The bright metal gleamed through the thick gray smoke.

"13th Unit, listen to me," Princess Iris commanded smoothly. Her voice echoed with true, compassionate leadership. "We will not fight like them. We will not slaughter the innocent puppets. We must coordinate our defenses."

Laxmi punched her open palm. Bright orange flames popped around her fingers. "I am ready! Tell me where to aim!"

"We will prioritize protection and containment," Princess Iris instructed firmly. "We must secure the uninfected civilians. We must block the incoming attacks. We will fight back against the advancing puppet forces, but we will use non-lethal suppression tactics. We will disarm them. We will trap them."

Ira stepped forward. Her pale face showed zero emotion. "Statistically speaking, non-lethal suppression requires a significantly higher level of tactical coordination. It increases our physical risk."

"We accept that risk," Princess Iris declared proudly. "We protect our people."

Naomi nodded enthusiastically. "You heard the Princess! Vanguard, form up! Protect the perimeter!"

Zinia stomped her boots onto the marble floor. She slammed her hands together. "Stone Barricade!"

Thick slabs of solid rock ripped out of the floorboards. The rocks formed a sturdy, curved wall around a group of terrified nobles. The earth magic shielded the civilians from the stray lightning bolts and the flying debris.

Sayma thrust her hands forward. "Absolute Hexagon!"

A brilliant, glowing golden honeycomb barrier snapped into place. The solid light covered the top of Zinia's rock wall. The golden shield blocked the red liquid raining down from the ceiling. The toxic blood splashed harmlessly against the light.

Ira raised her pale hands. The moisture in the air gathered around her fingers. Two long, high-pressure water whips formed instantly. She lashed the whips outward. The water cracked like real leather. She wrapped the whips around the legs of two charging puppets. She pulled backward. The puppets tripped and fell onto the floor. They were safely immobilized.

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Luna rubbed her sleepy eyes. She pointed two fingers at a puppet holding a sword. "Zap," she mumbled lazily. A very weak, tiny jolt of yellow electricity shot from her hand. It shocked the puppet just enough to paralyze its muscles. The puppet dropped the sword and fell asleep.

Laxmi ran to the front line. She did not throw massive fireballs. She formed a solid wall of bright orange fire. The wall of heat pushed the puppets backward. It forced them to retreat without burning their clothes.

"Stay back!" Laxmi cheered loudly. "The fire is very hot! Do not touch it!"

The 13th Unit executed the plan flawlessly. They worked together as a perfect, united team. They contained the threat. They protected the innocent. They provided a safe haven in the middle of the madness.

Ken Eliot sat under the serving table. He slouched his shoulders. He watched his team fight. He popped a final cheese cube into his mouth. He chewed it slowly.

"This is excellent teamwork," Ken analyzed casually in his mind. He slipped his hands deep into his pockets. "They are doing a great job managing the mob aggro. They are using pure crowd control techniques. It is a very solid defensive strategy."

Ken let out a loud, dramatic yawn. He leaned his head against a table leg.

"I will just stay right here," Ken decided lazily. "The table is very sturdy. The cheese is very good. I will provide invisible moral support from the shadows. I am definitely the most important part of this entire operation."

The grand ballroom remained a chaotic, violent battlefield. General Vespera laughed her cruel laugh. The Royal Princes continued their ruthless slaughter. But the 13th Unit stood strong in their corner. They coordinated their defenses perfectly. They fought back against the advancing puppet forces with unwavering, compassionate resolve. The real test of their endurance had officially begun.

---

The grand ballroom was a complete disaster zone. The sound of clashing metal rang across the room. Shattered glass covered the marble floor. Broken wooden chairs lay scattered everywhere. The elegant party was ruined.

General Vespera stood in the center of the chaos. She wore her sleek, dark crimson military uniform. She held her glowing glass flask. The red mist swirled wildly inside the glass. She smiled a very cruel, wicked smile. Her toxic red eyes scanned the room.

She snapped her pale fingers again. Snap.

A massive wave of dark red magic erupted from her body. The magic zoomed across the ballroom. It hit dozens of innocent nobles. It hit the remaining Imperial Guards.

The blood magic hijacked their bodies instantly. Dark red veins bulged across their pale faces. Their eyes turned a glowing, toxic red. They lost their minds . They became mindless, violent puppets. They picked up broken table legs. They picked up dropped swords. They roared loudly. They charged blindly at the Royal candidates.

Naomi dashed across the polished floor. Her green wind magic swirled around her boots. She moved with incredible speed. She spun her twin silver daggers. She aimed for an infected guard. She wanted to trip him. She swung the blunt handle of her dagger at his knees.

The metal hit his leg with a loud clack.

The guard did not stumble. He did not fall down. He simply ignored the strike. He swung his fist. He punched Naomi directly in the shoulder.

Naomi gasped. The impact was massive. She slid backward across the slippery floor. She struggled to keep her balance. She looked at the guard in shock.

"They are getting stronger!" Naomi warned loudly. Her green eyes widened. "His physical strength just multiplied! He hits like a solid brick wall!"

General Vespera laughed a dark, melodic laugh. She raised her glass flask high into the air.

"You cannot defeat my army," Vespera boasted smoothly. "I control their blood. I control their hearts. I am forcing their bodies past all normal human limits. They do not feel pain. They do not feel exhaustion. I am enhancing their physical durability tenfold. They will rip you to pieces."

Laxmi punched her open palm. Bright orange flames roared to life around her hands. She glared at the infected nobles.

"I do not care how strong they are!" Laxmi shouted fiercely. "Fire burns everything!"